Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) – Herb garden

Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) is an evergreen aromatic herb  tree that grows up to 12 to 15 meters tall. It has a pyramid-shaped crown with hanging branches, and shiny green, ovate and opposite aromatic leaves. Toward the start of the rainy season fragrant, green buds appear at the ends of the branches. They gradually turn red 
and, if left unpicked, develop into pink or crimson flowers. The blossoms are bell-shaped and have red cups and white crowns. The fruit is a small berry that contains one or two seeds. Cloves are available throughout the year. It is utilized as a part of the traditional Ayurvedic medicines for its antiseptic and anti-fermentation properties. It is additionally used to flavor betel leaves and its oil is utilized as a part of the manufacturing of scents, soaps, baths salts as well as flavoring agents in toothpastes.

Scientific Name: Syzygium aromaticum
Synonyms: Caryophyllus aromaticus, Eugenia aromatica, Eugenia caryophyllata, Eugenia caryophyllus.
Common Name: Cloves, Lavanga.

 

 

 

 

How to grow and maintain Syzygium aromaticum (Cloves):

Light:
Syzygium aromaticum prefers a semi-shaded exposure.

Soil:
The soil should be rich and loamy with good drainage and lot of organic matter. A well-draining soil with humus texture will also stimulate the growth of the cloves. Try to keep up the loamy
texture of the soil to improve the humidity of the soil.

Temperature:
Syzygium aromaticum Prefers minimum temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius – 18 degrees Celsius / 59 degrees Fahrenheit – 64 degrees Fahrenheit. They can’t endure frost, so don’t plant it under harsh winters.

Water:
Water the cloves moderately but consistently during the growing season, Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Allow the top one inch of soil to dry out between watering.

Fertilizer:
Apply 50 kg aged manure or compost and bone meal or fish meal two to four kg per year. You can fertilize the clove with organic fertilizer during the rainy season. You can also fertilize the plant with superphosphate once in a month when the plant gets develop.

Propagation:
It can be easily propagated by seed or by cuttings. For seed propagation, purchase seeds that are recently harvested and not dried out totally as entirely dried out seeds are not viable and do not germinate. Plant seeds as soon as you get them. The seeds don’t need to be covered with soil and should be placed on top of the soil. You can cover the pot or seed tray with the plastic sheet to increase the humidity. Cuttings of terminal leafy softwood, kept in a frame at high humidity until they have rooted.

Pests and Diseases:
There is no serious pest or problems. But, It is suffer from scales and seedling wilt. Use essential pesticides and fungicides to get get rid of them. The plant is usually affected with downy mildew and fungus blights. Fungal leaf spots and aphids also affect the growth of the plant. sprinkle insecticidal soap once in seven days if the infestation is harsh.

Harvesting:
A Clove tree begins to flower after 6 years of its planting if grown in favorable conditions and full bearing stage is attained after about 15 to 20 years. Flower buds are produced on young
flush. It takes about 4 to 6 months for the buds to become ready for harvest. At this time, they are less than 2 cm long. The ideal stage for picking clove buds is indicated by the change in the
color from green to slightly pinkish tinge. Harvesting must be done carefully without damaging the branches. The buds once picked are dried in the sun or the hot air chambers until they have lost two-thirds of their original weight and the color of the bud stem has darkened to dark brown and rest of the bud in slight brown color.

Medicinal uses of Syzygium aromaticum (Cloves) :

• Syzygium Aromaticum is known to be an effective herb to powerful herb to determine the stomach related issues like bloating, intestinal gas, nausea, stomach upset, distention and dyspepsia. It also helps to provide relief in heart burn, acidity and stomachache. Furthermore it helps to improve the digestion.
• Syzygium aromaticum is known to be an effective herb to determine the respiratory disorders like cough, asthma, sinusitis, cold, sore throat, bronchitis, flu, whooping cough, fever and tuberculosis. It helps to clear the mucous and phlegm from the airways. Moreover it also helps to provide relief in the nasal congestion, chest congestion, coughing and shortening of breath.
• The oil of cloves regulates the body temperature and can stimulate the skin by producing heat.
• Syzygium aromaticum herb is very great in the treatment of skin diseases caused by bacteria, virus and fungi. Antiseptic properties of this herb are quite useful to fight against the various infections. This herb helps in the natural healing of wounds and also provides relief in the cuts, bruises, scabies, acne, prickly heat, insect stings.